Skip to main content
Home

Department of Defence Ministers

  • Home
  • Releases
    • All
    • Media releases
    • Speeches
    • Statements
    • Transcripts
  • Previous Ministers
The Hon Peter Dutton MP

The Hon Peter Dutton MP

Minister for Defence

Peter Dutton is the Member for Dickson and Minister for Defence. 

Minister Dutton was sworn in as the Minister for Defence on 30 March 2021.

Peter has been a member of the National Security Committee of Cabinet for 6 years. He is also a member of the Expenditure Review Committee and the Prime Minister’s leadership team.

Previously, he served as the inaugural Home Affairs Minister in its modern form from December 2017, with responsibility for the Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre.  

Peter has also previously served as the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection from December 2014 until August 2018 overseeing Operation Sovereign Borders – stopping the boats, getting every child out of detention, closing the Manus Regional Processing Centre and overseeing the special intake of 12,000 refugees from the Syria and Iraq conflicts.

Prior to that appointment, Peter was Minister for Health and Minister for Sport from September 2013 establishing the $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund.

Peter is married to Kirilly and is the proud father of Rebecca, Harry and Tom and lives in Dayboro in the Dickson electorate.

First elected to the Australian Parliament as the Member for Dickson in November 2001 at age 30, Peter became one of the youngest Ministers since Federation when appointed to the Ministry by Prime Minister John Howard in 2004.

In January 2006, he was promoted to Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer.

Portfolio responsibilities

  • Oversight of all aspects of the Defence portfolio
  • Defence Budget
  • Defence Reform and Enterprise Management
  • Strategic Policy
  • International Policy and Engagement
  • Intelligence
  • Australian Signals Directorate
  • ADF Operations
  • Defence Planning Guidance
  • The Integrated Investment Program
  • Force Structure Review
  • Development of capability requirements
  • Capability/cost trade off during capability lifecycle
  • People, Equipment and Readiness
  • Force Posture, including USFPI and ASMTI
  • Science and Technology policy and support to capability and operations
  • Defence Security and Vetting Policy
  • Estate and Infrastructure Policy
  • Defence Information and Communication Technology

Biography | Media releases | Speeches | Statements | Transcripts
The Hon Melissa Price MP

The Hon Melissa Price MP

Minister for Defence Industry

Minister Price was sworn in as the Minister for Defence Industry on 29 May 2019. The Minister and portfolio were elevated to Cabinet on 30 March 2021. First elected to the Australian Parliament in 2013 as the Member for Durack – the largest electorate in Australia.  Minister Price has previously served in the Environment portfolio and has held a number of Parliamentary Committee roles including the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.  A lawyer by profession, Minister Price brings over 20 years of experience in the private sector from a variety of commercial and legal roles.  She has also supported the community through working with the not-for-profit sector.

Portfolio responsibilities

  • Support the Minister for Defence in the management of capability acquisition and sustainment projects
  • Australian Industry Capability Program
  • Australian defence industry development
  • Defence Exports
  • Global supply chains
  • Equipment disposals
  • Centre for Defence Industry Capability
  • Defence Innovation Hub
  • Science and Technology engagement with Australian industry, including the Next Generation Technology Fund
  • Test and evaluation policy and procedures
  • International engagement on defence industry matters
  • Estate and Infrastructure management and delivery

Biography | Media releases | Speeches | Statements | Transcripts
The Hon Darren Chester MP

The Hon Darren Chester MP

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
Minister for Defence Personnel

Minister Chester was sworn in for a second term as Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel on 29 May 2019, with the portfolio being elevated to Cabinet on 6 February 2020. In his previous term, Minister Chester also served as the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of Anzac. In February 2016, Minister Chester was appointed to Cabinet as the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. He served for three months on the backbench from December 2017 to February 2018. Minister Chester is the member for Gippsland, Victoria, and was first elected to Federal Parliament on June 26, 2008.

Portfolio responsibilities

  • Personnel policy and support
  • Veterans policy and support
  • Defence Health Services
  • Military justice
  • Honours and Awards
  • Army, Navy and Air Force Cadets
  • Parliamentary Exchange Program
  • Transition from ADF
  • Defence Housing Australia
  • International engagement on veterans and defence personnel matters
  • Defence's response to perfluorinated chemicals matters

Biography | Media releases | Speeches | Statements | Transcripts
Andrew Hastie MP

The Hon Andrew Hastie MP

Assistant Minister for Defence

Assistant Minister Hastie was sworn in as the Assistant Minister for Defence on 22 December 2020. Assistant Minister Hastie was elected to represent the electorate of Canning in the House of Representatives in 2015 and again in 2016 and 2019. Assistant Minister Hastie served in the Australian Defence Force from 2003 to 2015, deploying to various theatres in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific. Assistant Minister Hastie served as Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security from January 2017 to December 2020. His work in this capacity focused on national security, including counter-terrorism, espionage and foreign interference.

Portfolio responsibilities

  • Duties as directed by the Minister for Defence

Biography | Media releases | Speeches | Statements | Transcripts

Latest media releases

Review of Unit Recognition for Somalia Service

25 June 2021

The independent Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal will re-examine the issue of unit recognition for the service of our

  • Navy Indigenous Graduates Congratulated

    24 June 2021
  • Defence to help with clean up and recovery in Victoria

    19 June 2021
  • Defence Peace Operations Training Partnership

    19 June 2021

View more media releases

Latest speeches

Keynote Speech Cyber West Summit, Perth

25 June 2021

E&OE…

  • Address at the 25th Anniversary of the Black Hawk Disaster Townsville

    15 June 2021
  • Shape, Deter, Respond: ASPI Conference 2021

    10 June 2021
  • Address to Australian Strategic Policy Institute Conference, Canberra

    10 June 2021

View more speeches

Latest statements

Bandar Seri Begawan declaration by the ADMM-Plus in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the ADMM on promoting a future-ready, peaceful and prosperous ASEAN

17 June 2021

1. The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (hereinafter referred to as “ADMM-Plus”) was convened via video conference on 16 June 2021;

  • Commitment to disrupt ransomware criminal networks

    15 June 2021
  • Australia-Germany 2+2 Ministerial Consultations

    10 June 2021
  • Ninth Japan-Australia 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations

    9 June 2021

View more statements

Latest transcripts

Interview with Ray Hadley, Radio 2GB-4BC

24 June 2021

EO&E.

RAY HADLEY:

  • Interview with Chris Kenny, Sky News

    18 June 2021
  • Interview with Karl Stefanovic and the Hon. Richard Marles MP, the Today Show

    18 June 2021
  • Doorstop Interview Australian Cyber Security Centre, Canberra ACT

    15 June 2021

View more transcripts

Defending Australia and its National Interests Small shape of Australia with tagline
  • Contact us
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
  • Sitemap
  • Error/bug